1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coordinate input device used to manipulate a cursor, window, and the like on a display screen in order to enhance the ease of operation of a portable information apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable information apparatuses such as notebook computers are equipped with a built-in pointing device or an externally connected pointing device to enhance their ease of operation. Examples of commonly used pointing devices include mice, flat pads, and trackballs. The pointing device detects, for example, the amount and direction of rotation of a trackball, and the portable information apparatus causes the cursor on the display screen to move on the basis of the result of the detection and accomplishes various operations in response to button click operations that the user performs at the new cursor position.
Recently, mice that incorporate a rotating dial (wheel) have come into popular use; with this type of mouse, when a document too large to be shown within one screen is displayed, the wheel mounted in the mouse is rotated to scroll the document to bring other portions of the document into the screen. Using the rotating wheel for scrolling enhances the ease of operation in scrolling since it not only accomplishes scrolling at high speed but also allows fine adjustment of the scrolling. As an example of a pointing device combined with a wheel, there is also available a device that is equipped with a dial ring encircling a trackball, and that is designed for use, for example, with an ultrasonic diagnostic instrument, to manipulate three-dimensional data by detecting an coordinate input on a third axis.
Referring to FIG. 3, a description will be given of a method of how information such as a document or image displayed within a window screen is scrolled using a conventional mouse or trackball. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 30 is a window screen displayed on a display device, 31 is a vertical scroll bar, 32 is a vertical scroll box, 33 is a scroll up button, 34 is a scroll down button, and 35 is a cursor. When the cursor 35 is moved to the scroll up button 33 by using the mouse, and the mouse is clicked on it, the information displayed in the screen is scrolled upward across the screen; likewise, when the cursor 35 is positioned on the scroll down button 34, and the mouse is clicked on it, the information displayed in the screen is scrolled downward across the screen.
Since the screen is scrolled up or down by an amount proportional to the number of times or the length of time that the scroll up button 33 or the scroll down button 34 is clicked or held down by the mouse, the desired part of the information can be correctly brought into the screen for viewing. The information displayed within the screen can also be scrolled vertically by positioning the cursor 35 on the vertical scroll box 32 and moving the mouse forward or backward while keeping the mouse button pressed down (dragging the vertical scroll box 32). Horizontal scrolling is performed in like manner by using a scroll left button 38, a scroll right button 39, and a horizontal scroll box 37 provided at the bottom of the window screen 30.
To accomplish the above operations by using a trackball instead of a mouse, the trackball is rotated to move the cursor 35 across the window screen 30 and, by performing a designated left click operation, the information can be scrolled in the same manner as when it is done using a mouse.
Recently, a wheel mouse, a mouse having a forward/backward rotating wheel between left and right click buttons as shown in FIG. 6, has come into use. Reference numeral 60 is the mouse body, 61 is the left button, 62 is the right button, and 63 is the wheel. When the cursor 35 is moved to an arbitrary position within the window screen 30, and the wheel 63 is rotated forward, the information displayed within the screen is scrolled in the upward direction in the same manner as when the scroll up button 33 is pressed; likewise, when the wheel 63 is rotated backward, the displayed information is scrolled in the downward direction in the same manner as when the scroll down button 34 is pressed. Since the wheel 63 can be rotated using only a forefinger, the user can operate it easily even when the amount of scroll is large. However, on a notebook computer or the like, since the user has to move his hand off the keyboard to operate the wheel, it has been difficult to operate the wheel while inputting characters.
As described above, while the wheel offers enhanced usability, the prior art wheel mouse has had the problem that when inputting characters, for example, the user has to suspend the current task to operate the wheel as he has to move his hand off the home position on the keyboard and put his hand on the mouse to rotate the wheel. Furthermore, in the case of a portable electronic apparatus, the space for operating the wheel mouse has had to be provided in addition to the space for the apparatus itself.
In view of the above problems with the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coordinate input device that allows the user to operate the wheel without having to move his hand off the keyboard, and also provide a portable information apparatus equipped with such a coordinate input device.
One aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device comprising: to claim 1) is a coordinate input device comprising:
a keyboard;
a rotary dial annular in shape and mounted in substantially the same plane as said keyboard, said rotary dial being rotatable within said plane; and
a rotation detector for detecting the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial, and wherein:
said rotary dial is disposed below said keyboard.
A further aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device, wherein said rotary dial is disposed so that the center of said rotary dial lies on a line that substantially bisects the width of said keyboard.
A still another aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device, further comprising a depression detector for detecting depression of said rotary dial when said rotary dial is depressed in a direction perpendicular to said plane.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device, further comprising a trackball, a second rotation detector for detecting the amount and direction of rotation of said trackball, and one or more click buttons provided in positions adjacent to said trackball, and wherein:
said trackball and said click buttons are disposed within said plane in such a manner as to be surrounded by said rotary dial.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device, further comprising a flat pad which is touched by an object, a movement detector for detecting the distance and direction of movement of said object while said flat pad is being touched with said object, and one or more click buttons provided in positions adjacent to said flat pad, and wherein:
said flat pad and said click buttons are disposed within said plane in such a manner as to be surrounded by said rotary dial.
A further aspect of the present invention is a coordinate input device, wherein said rotary dial is constructed so that when said rotary dial is rotated, various parts forming said rotary dial can stay stable in a plurality of positions within said plane.
A still further aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus comprising:
a coordinate input device as described in 1st invention;
a display device having a screen for displaying information and a pointer for indicating a portion within said screen; and
a controller for causing said information or said pointer displayed within said screen to move according to the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial.
A yet further aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said screen includes a scroll bar for scrolling said displayed information vertically or horizontally across said screen, and
said controller causes said information displayed within said screen to scroll in accordance with the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial when said pointer is positioned on said scroll bar.
A still yet further aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said information comprises a plurality of images, said pointer is used to select one of said plurality of images, and said controller causes said pointer to move in accordance with the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial.
An additional aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, comprising an expansion controller for causing said image at which said pointer is positioned to be expanded to a larger size for display in said screen.
A still additional aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, comprising an application activator for activating a prescribed application, while at the same time, capturing said image at which said pointer is positioned.
A yet additional aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus comprising:
a coordinate input device as described in 1st invention;
a display device having a screen with a plurality of image display areas arranged in the form of a ring and a pointer for indicating one of said plurality of image display areas; and
a controller for causing said pointer displayed within said screen to move according to the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial.
A still yet additional aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus comprising:
a coordinate input device as described in 1st invention;
a display device having a screen with a plurality of image display areas arranged in the form of a ring and a pointer for indicating one of said plurality of image display areas; and
a controller for causing a plurality of images to be displayed in said respective image display areas in such a manner that said plurality of images are displayed sequentially moving through said image display areas in accordance with the amount and direction of rotation of said rotary dial.
A supplementary aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein the size of said plurality of image display areas monotonically changes along said ring, and/or said plurality of image display areas are arranged with any two adjacent image display areas overlapping each other.
A still supplementary aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said plurality of images are temporally successive images.
A yet supplementary aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said controller causes said plurality of images to be displayed in said respective image display areas in such a manner that, of said plurality of images, the most future image is displayed in the smallest size.
A still yet further supplementary aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, comprising a position indicator for indicating in digital or analog form where in an entire set of said plurality of images is positioned the image displayed in a prescribed one of said plurality of image display areas.
A still yet additional supplementary of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said plurality of images are images such that the number of fields to be displayed per unit time is predetermined, and said controller causes said respective images to move by a number equal to the number of fields per second when said rotary dial is rotated through one revolution.
One aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, wherein said controller performs control so that the number of times that said respective images are moved while said rotary dial is rotated through one revolution is varied according to the rotational speed of said rotary dial.
Another aspect of the present invention is a portable information apparatus, comprising an application activator for activating a prescribed application, while at the same time, capturing the image displayed in a prescribed one of said plurality of image display areas.